Newsbytes September 12, 2025 

In this issue:
Free Course Helps Veterans Turn Ideas Into Businesses
President Trump Honor 9/11 Victims 
MCPON Honea Announces Retirement  
New MCPON Puts Sailors and Training First 
Mobile Unit Brings Health Care to  Homeless Veterans 

Free Course Helps Veterans Turn Ideas Into Businesses
Veterans interested in starting a business now have access to a free resource designed just for them. Warrior Rising, in partnership with the Small Business Administration, is offering SDVET LaunchPoint, a four-week virtual course created specifically for service-disabled Veterans ready to explore entrepreneurship. 

The program is designed to help Veterans connect what they’re skilled at, passionate about, and interested in with real market opportunities. Through weekly one-hour Zoom sessions, participants will learn how to shape business ideas, identify ideal customers, and test whether their ideas are viable. The course also offers guidance on whether entrepreneurship is the right path and provides a simple model to map out next steps. 

SDVET LaunchPoint runs from Sept. 18 to Oct. 9, 2025, with sessions held on Thursdays at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. Applications are due by Sept. 15, 2025, and there is no waitlist. Spouses of qualifying Veterans may also apply. To be eligible, applicants must be U.S. Veterans with an honorable discharge and a VA service-connected disability rating. Verification requires a DD-214 (with SSN blocked) and a current VA disability letter. 

Warrior Rising, a nonprofit founded in 2015 and built by Veterans for Veterans, has already helped thousands of military-connected entrepreneurs through training, coaching and mentorship. More than 1,200 Veterans and family members applied for the last cycle of LaunchPoint, highlighting the demand for practical business guidance in the Veteran community. 

Veterans and spouses who meet the criteria can apply online by Sept. 15, 2025. Accepted participants will join a cohort of peers and mentors who understand the challenges of transitioning military experience into successful business ventures. 

President Trump Honor 9/11 Victims 
President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led a ceremony at the Pentagon today to honor the victims and first responders of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The observance marked 24 years since 184 people lost their lives when hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon’s west wall. 

In his remarks, Trump reflected on the date’s significance, noting that Pentagon construction began on Sept. 11, 1941, exactly 60 years before the attacks. He emphasized America’s resilience: “We will never yield, never bend, never give up, and our great American flag will never, ever fail.” 

Hegseth praised the U.S. military’s sacrifices since 9/11, calling service members “the real 1%.” Speaking about first responders, he said, “It was bedlam, but in that moment, American heroism was laid bare. That purpose—that spirit—lives on in uniform today.” Caine echoed that message, recalling how service members and civilians “went into the flame to save their fellow teammates” on the day of the attack. 

The Fleet Reserve Association honors those lost on 9/11, the first responders who answered the call, and the service members who gave their lives in the subsequent wars, along with their families who continue to bear the burden of sacrifice. 

The ceremony began with the reading of all 184 victims’ names and concluded with the unfurling of a large American flag on the Pentagon’s west wall, a tradition first carried out by fire and rescue workers the day after the attacks. 

MCPON Honea Announces Retirement  
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea, the Navy’s 16th MCPON, will retire today, Sept. 12, 2025, after 38 years of service. Honea assumed the role on Sept. 8, 2022, and has since championed quality-of-life improvements for Sailors and their families, including a historic 15 percent pay raise for junior enlisted members, expanded spouse employment opportunities, and better housing, medical care and childcare support. 

Reflecting on his career, Honea said, “It has been a profound privilege and honor to serve as your MCPON. I will carry with me the countless memories of meeting Sailors across the Fleet, hearing about your remarkable achievements, as well as the level of trust you placed in me to advocate for you and your families.” 

Throughout his tenure, Honea also advanced initiatives to strengthen enlisted leadership, education and performance standards. Earlier this year, he oversaw a major update to the Chief Petty Officer evaluation system. He credited Sailors for embodying the Navy’s fighting spirit and pledged to continue supporting the Fleet in new ways following his retirement. 

The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) recognized Honea’s leadership and his direct engagement with enlisted issues. Honea was a speaker at last year’s FRA national convention, where he addressed the concerns of enlisted Sailors and their families. The Association thanks him for his dedication and advocacy, and extends best wishes for his future endeavors. 

As Honea closes his Navy chapter, he leaves a legacy of advocacy and reform that will continue to impact Sailors and their families long after his retirement. 

New MCPON Puts Sailors and Training First 
The Navy’s top enlisted sailor, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman, released his objectives for the fleet Tuesday, just one day after assuming the role as the service’s 17th MCPON during a ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington. Perryman, who previously served as the senior enlisted leader for U.S. Fleet Forces Command, succeeds MCPON James Honea, who held the post since September 2022. 

In a message shared on social media, Perryman pledged to prioritize sailors and their families while sharpening the force’s technical knowledge and professional development. “I am committed to removing distractions that don’t matter, delivering training that does, and spotlighting excellence wherever it’s found,” he wrote. His agenda includes improving barracks, family housing and galleys, ensuring timely access to medical care, and strengthening technical training tied to career advancement. 

Perryman emphasized developing sailor talent through regular training, assessments, and state-of-the-art facilities, with the goal of retaining and growing the Navy’s most capable warfighters. “By delivering these improvements, we aim to retain and grow the Navy’s most talented warfighters,” his outline stated. 

The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) congratulates Perryman on becoming the 17th MCPON and expressed its support in working with him on legislative issues important to enlisted sailors and their families. 

As Perryman takes on his new role, the Navy’s enlisted community looks to him to carry forward the priorities of readiness, family support, and training that shape the backbone of the fleet. 

Mobile Unit Brings Health Care to  Homeless Veterans 
Every Friday morning, the George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center Homeless Program deploys a mobile medical unit to community shelters, bringing health care directly to Veterans experiencing homelessness. Staffed by the Homeless and Justice Clinical Recovery Program and the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (H-PACT), the unit offers a full range of services, including blood draws, vaccines, prescriptions, referrals, as well as food bags and hygiene kits. “It is basically everything I can do in a clinic,” said nurse practitioner Alissa Firmage. “We are a one-stop shop, and the goal is to serve about 500 Veterans each year.” 

For many Veterans, access to traditional health care appointments is nearly impossible due to transportation challenges, lack of phones, or unstable living conditions. The mobile unit eliminates those barriers by meeting Veterans where they are. Social worker Dani Masi noted a growing number of older Veterans, particularly from the Vietnam era, struggling with rising rent, health care costs, and isolation. “The mobile medical unit has been such a gift and such a blessing,” she said. 

The program’s impact is clear in the story of 80-year-old Navy Veteran Tom Morrison, who lost his longtime apartment and spent nights in parks before entering a shelter. With support from VA housing programs, he now has an apartment and receives regular medical check-ins through the mobile unit. “When the van comes around, it helps me a lot,” Morrison said. “I do not have to go to the hospital. Every month or so, they will be checking my health. For the future, that is good for me.” 

Firmage explained that success begins with trust: “The rapport we build just by giving out a hygiene kit or a snack bag is beyond what most Veterans experiencing homelessness expected that day. It sets the stage for us to engage with them for years to come.” 

The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) commended the VA’s homeless outreach efforts, noting its strong support for initiatives that address the needs of Veterans at risk, especially housing and health care. The FRA honors those still struggling and advocates for programs that connect Veterans with stability and long-term care. Veterans in Utah can contact the VA Salt Lake City Homeless Program at 801-582-1565, ext. 2746, or reach the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838) for 24/7 confidential support.